8:48am Wednesday 7th May 2008
MATT Neal endured a mixed weekend at Donington Park, Leicestershire, in the latest rounds of the British Touring Car Championship.
The Droitwich race ace earned a second place in race one, but his Vauxhall Vectra crashed out of race two with one lap to go.
He then made a recovery in race three to take sixth place and remain in third place in the overall standings.
Jason Plato, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Darren Turner shared the three race victories.
Plato and Turner made history by becoming the first drivers to win races in the BTCC with a car powered by diesel - namely SEAT's Leon TDI - but it is Vauxhall's Giovanardi, the reigning champion, who leaves the Leicestershire circuit in command of the points table, as the series moves on to Thruxton in Hampshire on Sunday May 18.
Driver standings: 1) Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA) - 91 points, 2) Jason Plato (GBR) - 75pts, 3) Matt Neal (GBR) - 64pts, 4) Gordon Shedden (GBR) - 62pts, = Darren Turner (GBR) - 62pts, 6) Mat Jackson (GBR) - 59pts, 7) Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR) - 55pts, 8) Tom Chilton (GBR) - 37pts, 9) Adam Jones (GBR) - 35pts, 10) Colin Turkington (GBR) - 33pts.
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